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New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Inside the chess world's race to ace the Indian market
STAVANGER: The FIDE World Cup is scheduled to be held in India later this year. The third season of the Global Chess League (GCL), owned and conducted by an Indian company, may be held in Chennai in December. Another edition of the Chennai Grandmasters, India's only super tournament, is scheduled to be held in August. It may be bigger and better than the first two. Viswanathan Anand, a former five-time world champion, is one of FIDE's top officials. D Gukesh is the reigning world champion. Arjun Erigaisi, now in the top five, had to play and win a lot of open tournaments. These days, Erigaisi gets invited to a lot of top-tier events; an indication of his standing. Likewise with Aravindh Chithambaram, R Praggnanandhaa and so on. In short, if you are an Indian — or an Indian entity — involved in chess, this is boom time. Everybody wants in on the gravy train or the 'Indian market'. It, of course, wasn't like this before. "The pandemic changed it from an Indian (chess) perspective," says Srinath Narayanan, a GM who has organised several events over the last few years. "Indian players were getting invites to the big events but not at the level we are seeing now. But you can also understand why they are getting invites to the super tournaments now, there are two of them in the top five." The 'two of them' Narayanan refers to are featuring at Norway Chess —Gukesh and Erigaisi. Here's Kjell Madland, the tournament's founder and tournament director. "India is so important," Madland says. "It's a very big country and it's growing... the economy, technology and also they have so many young players. It's very important to have connections with Indian players and the market in India." Madland and his team at Stavanger, the annual destination for Norway Chess, have already held exploratory talks with stakeholders in India apropos holding events in India under their umbrella. It's not hard to imagine why they would want to do so. It could be a case of future-proofing the brand in a post Magnus Carlsen world (the World No. 1 could well stop playing Classical chess from next year). "In the first year (2013), Vishy (Viswanathan) Anand played and he was the world champion. Even from the beginning, we knew India was important." That kind of sentiment is reflected in the number of Indians in the draw this year. There are four (two each in the Open and women's), a record for Indian players at the tournament in its 13-year history. Narayanan has a theory as to why that may be the case across invitational closed competitions. "There are a fair few players in the top-10 and top-20 so they have got there with the way they have performed. Take both Erigaisi and Gukesh, for example. They have won a lot of open tournaments and now are getting invited to super events fairly regularly." It's not just the Indian players who have been front and centre. In 2024, the Tamil Nadu government as well as the All India Chess Federation (AICF) submitted two separate bids to host the World Championship. A year earlier, the TN government organised a super tournament to help one of Gukesh or Erigaisi to qualify for the Candidates via the circuit (the former capitalised). Narayanan, tasked with the role of bringing that competition to life, explains. "Chess is a difficult event to get sponsors on but I would say it has been better to get sponsors on board in 2024 and now. Because, in 2023, it existed only as a concept." Young Indian GMs, including the likes of Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh, are at the top of the wish-list because of their social media followings. While appearance fees aren't big in chess, organisers of the big events, especially in 2025, may prefer to get on board a player who has a bigger social media footprint. "If you are looking at two similarly rated players but have only a slot, their social media accounts can play a role," Narayanan says. It's like this because there is the added element of the tournament receiving potentially more eyeballs on social media. Wednesday's pairings: Open: Magnus Carlsen vs Wei Yi, Fabiano Caruana vs Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh vs Hikaru Nakamura. Women: Koneru Humpy vs Sara Khadem, Ju Wenjun vs R Vaishali, Lei Tingjie vs Anna Muzychuk.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Gukesh Dommaraju vs Magnus Carlsen: World champ takes on world no.1 in Norway Chess opener
It's the game everyone has been waiting for. On Monday, newly crowned world champion D Gukesh will finally face Magnus Carlsen in classical chess for the first time since becoming the youngest champion in history. The match will take place in the opening round of the 2025 Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger, where Carlsen will play with the white pieces. The hype around this clash isn't new. Ever since Gukesh beat Ding Liren to win the world title in December, fans have wondered how he would fare against Carlsen — the man many still see as the best player on the planet. They last met in a classical game at the 2023 FIDE World Cup, where Carlsen won. Since then, Carlsen has mostly stayed away from classical chess, making only a few exceptions, with Norway Chess being one of them. Spotlight on the biggest showdown in Stavanger The match carries an extra spark. Gukesh, just 18, is aiming to shake off a tough run of form after his world title win. He came close to winning the Tata Steel tournament in January but has since struggled, especially in freestyle and classical events. Still, he remains calm. 'It's not about proving anymore,' he said. 'Now, it's about improving.' 🔥 Round 1 Showdown: Carlsen vs Gukesh 🔥Norway Chess 2025 kicks off with a blockbuster clash as World No.1 Magnus Carlsen faces reigning World Champion Gukesh D in their first classical encounter since Gukesh brought the title back to in 2023, Gukesh marked his… Carlsen, meanwhile, admitted he doesn't know what to expect from himself either. 'It might take me a couple of games to find my rhythm,' he said. But he knows the buzz around this game is real. 'There's a little bit more in there for everybody.' With Carlsen, Gukesh, Hikaru Nakamura, Arjun Erigaisi, Fabiano Caruana, and Wei Yi in the field, Norway Chess feels like a mini world championship. In the women's section, reigning champ Ju Wenjun headlines a strong line-up, including Koneru Humpy and Vaishali Rameshbabu. But for now, all eyes are on Gukesh vs Carlsen. And Stavanger is ready.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Norway Chess Tournament: D Gukesh set to challenge Magnus Carlsen on his home turf
Ever since Gukesh Dommaraju defeated Ding Liren to become the youngest world champion in chess history, the world has been obsessed with what-ifs. What if Magnus Carlsen had not abdicated the throne? What if it has been Carlsen playing against Gukesh instead of Ding? Carlsen's disinterest in playing classical tournaments has meant that the world no.1 and the world champion have not come face to face in the longest format of the sport since Gukesh's coronation in December. The last time they duelled in a classical chess game was the 2023 FIDE World Cup when Carlsen defeated the teenager from Chennai in the two-game quarter-finals. But on Monday, the chess world will get the clash it has wanted for a while as Gukesh plays with black pieces against Carlsen at the Norway Chess tournament, one of the rare events for which Carlsen makes an exception to his self-imposed classical chess exile. The date for the second clash — where Gukesh plays with white pieces — will be made public soon. This year's Norway Chess has one of the strongest fields in recent history with the world's top 5 ranked players — Carlsen, No.2 Hikaru Nakamura, No.3 Gukesh, No.4 Arjun Erigiaisi and No.5 Fabiano Caruana — being joined by China's World No.8 Wei Yi. It's almost a mini-Candidates tournament where two flag-bearers of the current Indian golden generation – Gukesh and Arjun – take on the troika of grizzled veterans – Carlsen, Caruana and Nakamura. The women's event will have reigning world champion Ju Wenjun being joined by a stacked field that includes India's Koneru Humpy, Vaishali Rameshbabu besides players like Sara Khadem, Lei Tingjie and Anna Muzychuk. Carlsen admitted that he had no idea what to expect from himself. 'Whether it's against Gukesh or somebody else here, I'm not really quite sure what to expect from those games in particular,' Carlsen said at the press conference on Sunday. 'I certainly want to do well in those games and he (Gukesh) does as well.' In the past, Carlsen has spoken a lot about the 18-year-old Indian. He was particularly scathing in his comments about at times during the world championship. 'If people think I was criticising Gukesh too much (during the world championship), it's because I expect so much from him in classical chess' Carlsen said in a recent interview with Take Take Take. 'It will be a very interesting game and a fun challenge,' Gukesh said about the clash. 'I hope it will be a treat.' Carlsen said that since he does play a lot of other formats of chess like freestyle and online, he is unlikely to be rusty. But he does expect a slow start at the tournament. 'It's going to take a little time for me to get into the speed of the game. I don't expect necessarily to be at my sharpest in the first couple of games. I feel like I'm never that unless I've had very recent playing experience. I hope in a week from now, I'll be in great shape,' he said. Gukesh, on the other hand, has spent the past five months since becoming world champion under intense scrutiny for his form. He almost won the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee, before being thwarted by Arjun Erigaisi and Praggnanandhaa. Since then, Gukesh has experienced an uncharacteristic slump: he went through the Weissenhaus leg of the Freestyle Chess tournament without a win, before experiencing more woe in the Paris leg of the Freestyle event. And then, his results in freestyle started to poison his form in classical chess as well: at the recent Superbet Classic Romania event, Gukesh won just a single game out of nine. But Gukesh said he was not too perturbed by the scrutiny or his run of results. He said he was unable to train with full gusto in the first couple of weeks after becoming world champion. But in recent months, he's back to the grind. 'Last year (2024) in classical chess, I played tournaments where I kind of proved whatever needed to be proved. And right now, the focus is not about proving it,' Gukesh told Norway Chess in an interview on Saturday. 'The world championship is not where I want to stop. I want to go beyond that. So it's not about proving, but improving myself and going beyond where I am.' (The writer is in Stavanger at the invitation of Norway Chess) Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Vaishali makes early gains; Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa remain winless
FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2024–2025 Vaishali R continues to lead with 2.5 points after the third day, remaining unbeaten with two victories and a draw. World Championship runner-up Tan Zhongyi follows in second place with 2 points. The Grosslobming FIDE Women's Grand Prix is the final event in the six-tournament 2024–2025 Women's Grand Prix cycle, which serves as one of the qualification routes for the next Women's Candidates Tournament. The event follows a 10-player single round-robin format. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move one. Players earn Grand Prix points based on their final standings. The prize fund is €80,000. Grand Chess Tour: Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2025 D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa are yet to score a win, having had to settle for two draws each. Alireza Firouzja currently leads with 1.5 points. The Superbet Classic Romania is the second leg of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour and one of its two classical-format events. It follows a single round-robin structure, with a time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, plus a 30-second increment from the first move. The total prize fund is $350,000. Asian Individual Chess Championships 2025 Following the second day's play, Ilamparthi A R shares the lead with 2 points, tied with fellow Indians Karthikeyan Murali, P Iniyan, M Pranesh, and Prraneeth Vuppala. The next round is scheduled for May 9 at 4 a.m. PDT. The 2025 Asian Chess Championships crown the Asian champions and act as a qualification pathway for the 2025 FIDE World Cup. Over 200 players are registered for this nine-round Swiss event. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment per move from the start. With a prize fund of $80,000, the top 10 players in the Open section and the top two in the Women's section will qualify for the FIDE World Cup and the FIDE Women's World Cup, respectively.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Chess without stress: Mantra of GM Shyam's school
CHENNAI: In a city that's producing chess prodigies and record-breakers at a dizzying speed and with parents rushing to turn their children into the next Gukesh or Pragg, coach Shyam Sundar, a Grandmaster is choosing a quieter revolution. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rather than bowing to the pressure of creating champions, the Chennai coach has built his academy – Chess Thulir (meaning 'a young leaf') – as a space where young players can learn to love the game without the weight of expectations. And, in an era where chess can be learned and played from anywhere, thanks to the convenience of online platforms, Shyam saw the importance of offering something more. 'I've been training a lot of students online for over a decade, but it was during the pandemic (2021 to be precise) that I realised the true need for offline training,' Shyam told TOI. With the rise of AI and digital technology, chess is becoming more of a computer-based sport, and Shyam understood the toll it was taking. 'Players rarely even step outside or go out in the sun anymore. And some of the kids are either pampered or kept in a strictly controlled environment. When they come to the academy, I want them to be completely free from any stress. 'Seven hours (10am to 5pm) are dedicated to chess, but after that, we play cricket or badminton for two hours. More often, they look forward to the second half of the day. It's a chance for them to enjoy a game without pressure. What's hurting to see is that some kids, due to parental pressure and fierce competition, don't even talk to each other. That's not the case at my academy, I want my players to have the helping mentality and bond well. Chess should be fun, not a race to break records,' said Shyam, who was the coach of the Indian team at the 2023 FIDE World Cup. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Building an academy in Chennai which is a home to some of the best-established training institutions in the country was never going to be easy. And the challenges didn't end with physical and logistical hurdles; Shyam also had to navigate a landscape filled with competition, misleading promises, and difficult dynamics. 'At times, some of my students couldn't even mention my name as their trainer due to various factors. This kept happening every now and then. They could be training with other coaches…I really have no idea. Also, a few people had come forward to sponsor the academy and some students here, but it hasn't materialised till now. It's painful,' said Shyam, who is currently training over 50 students at his academy in Perambur. The fruits of Shyam's dedication are slowly starting to show as his students edge closer to elite status. Last week, S Aswath earned his maiden GM norm at the Grenke Open, while M Anees became an IM (International Master) at the same event. In March, V Pranav, whom Shyam has been training for the past 18 months, was crowned World Junior Champion. It's not just local talent either; players from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Kashmir, including the region's only IM, Soham, have come to Chennai to train under him. 'It is tough, but you learn to keep going, especially when you see your students succeed. I have a larger goal, and because of it, I'm accepting these kinds of setbacks and focusing on the bigger picture. We have world-class level players and it will show. Because of some negative incidents, I can't let my good ones be overshadowed,' said the 32-year-old coach.
